Location Kensington & Chelsea (Primary Schools) Commitment Part-time, term time only
Hours 2 days/week, 8.30am - 5pm (Tue/Wed or Wed/Thu) Contract Minimum 2 years
About Care to Grow
Care to Grow is a charity that places trained, trusted mentors inside primary schools in Kensington & Chelsea. We exist because we believe that just one consistent, caring adult can change the course of a child's life. Our mentors build real relationships with children, with their families, and with the schools that support them, and we have seen that those relationships make children feel safer, more confident and ready to learn.
The Role
You will be embedded in a primary school two days a week, delivering emotional literacy support and holding a small caseload of children and their families over time. We are looking for someone who wants to become a known and trusted presence in a school community, and who understands that trust is built slowly and is worth building carefully.
We ask for a minimum two-year commitment. The relationships our mentors build take time to form and are genuinely valuable to the children, to the families, and to the schools. We want people who are in it for the long term.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for people who are warm, patient, and serious about this kind of work. The role is particularly well suited to graduates who are continuing their studies - whether pursuing a postgraduate degree in counselling, psychology, psychotherapy, social work, teaching or a related field - and who want to develop their practice in a real school setting alongside their academic training.
Lived experience of the issues our children and families navigate - whether that is poverty, family instability, mental health challenges, or the experience of being a child in a community like North Kensington is something we value highly and actively welcome.
Ideally, we are looking for:
- A degree-level qualification (any discipline) with a foundation course in counselling, psychotherapy or equivalent OR a psychology degree
- Paid experience working with children or young people
- The ability to evidence impact working with a caseload of children
- A warm, patient, relational approach, someone children and families genuinely trust
- Availability for 2 days per week, term time (Tue/Wed or Wed/Thu, 8.30am - 4.30pm)
- Due to safeguarding requirements of working pastorally with children in a trusted adult capacity, applicants must be aged 18 or older
What You Will Get
This role offers something genuinely rare, the time and space to build real relationships with children and families.
- Competitive pay - salary commensurate with experience
- Comprehensive induction and ongoing training
- Weekly supervision from a qualified systemic and integrative therapist
- A small, supportive team that takes the work seriously
- The opportunity to grow your practice in emotional literacy and pastoral mentoring
- A genuine career pathway - our mentors go on to further training in therapy, teaching or educational psychology
Safeguarding
Care to Grow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to enhanced DBS checks, online checks, and references taken up prior to appointment.
How to Apply
Send your CV and a short note about why this role appeals to you to [email protected]. We would love to hear what draws you to the role. If lived experience is relevant to your interest in this role and you choose to share it, we welcome that - but you are under no obligation to disclose anything personal in your application or at interview.
Pay: £17.00-£20.00 per hour
Education:
- A-Level or equivalent (required)
Experience:
- working with children: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
